Babies make a big splash!

A NEW swimming class which gives babies as young as four weeks old the confidence to swim has launched in Bridlington.

Water Babies classes have begun at Palms Leisure Blub in Carnaby, offering parents the chance to get their children, aged between 4 weeks and a year old, into the water and learning to swim.

“We have babies as young as four weeks old come to the class. They get into the water before they even realise any danger, so they immediately grow in confidence,” said Stella Riley, who runs the new class.

Many Bridlington mums had been forced to travel to York for the sessions before Water Babies came to Bridlington, and Stella, originally from Flamborough, is delighted to bring the classes to the area. “We think it is very important to get children into the water early. They go underwater, learn how to hold on to the sides and splashing.

“There is a safety aspect as well, especially if a child falls in the water. We have had incidents in the past where a child has fallen into a swimming pool at a party, and clung on to the side because of the classes.”

While safety and fun for the children is a primary concern, Stella is not ruling out a future swimming champion coming from the class.

“The classes have been running nationally for around 10 years, so we are a bit early yet to be seeing a champion swimmer who started at Water Babies. But the confidence gives them a head start against other older children so it might not be too long before someone from our classes becomes a champion.”